Monday, 30 July 2012

opposition advised govn't against bowing to pressure which the IMF is allegedly exerting on it to abolish agricultural subsidies

The opposition UPND and MMD have advised
government against bowing to pressure which the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) is allegedly exerting on it to abolish agricultural subsidies.

The IMF is urging the Zambian
government to consider abolishing subsidized agricultural inputs owing to the
high costs it is incurring.

Committee chairperson on agriculture
request muntanga who is UPND kalomo central Member of Parliament says the IMF
should stop championing policies that threaten food security among the poor
people but should instead promote easy market for subsidized western
agricultural produce in Zambia.

Mr. muntanga says world over
countries have such programmes in place and if the advise given by the IMF is
followed farmers will be left to starve with hunger more especially that
challenges such as the cotton price are already manifesting.

Mr. muntanga has questioned whose interest the IMF is saving by
advising Zambia to do the opposite of what other countries who have succeeded
are doing.

And MMD chairperson for elections
Gabriel Namulambe has explained that agricultural subsidies were important for
the country to continue enjoying food security at both household and national
level.

Mr. Namulambe says the three
previous consecutive maize bumper harvests were as a result of government’s
Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) through which government has been
providing subsidized agricultural inputs to small scale farmers.

Mr. namulambe who is also MMD mongwe
member of parliament says if abolished, government should then forget about
eradicating poverty among the vulnerable but viable people which is at alarming
levels.

The parliamentarian has however
commended Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Emmanuel Chenda for assuring
the nation that government has no intentions of abolishing the facility that
benefits the majority of the rural people